Rating

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You are not alone. Finally, here is a book that gets to the heart of what professional women want. You've probably been loath to admit it, but like most of us, you have had enough of the sixty-hour workweeks, the day-care dash, and the vacations that never get taken. You don't want to quit, you want to work—but on your own terms and in ways that make it possible to have a life as well.

Women have power. In Womenomics, journalists Shipman and Kay deal in facts, not stereotypes, providing a fresh perspective on the largely hidden power that women have in today's marketplace. Why? Companies with more women managers are more profitable. Women do more of the buying. A talent shortage looms. Younger generations want to work flexibly, too. It all adds up to a workplace revolution that is great news for professional women—not to mention men and businesses as well. As Brenda Barnes, CEO of Sara Lee, notes: “Companies need to recognize that this kind of flexibility offers employees the ability to manage and balance their own careers and lives, which in turn improves productivity and employee morale.” This new way of thinking and working is all the more valuable in a recession, as companies begin offering flexible schedules, four-day workweeks, and extended vacations as a way to avoid layoffs, save costs, and still reward employees.

It is personal. Womenomics does more than marshal the evidence of this historic shift. It also shows women how to redefine success, be productive, and build satisfying careers that don't require an all-or-nothing lifestyle. Most appealing are the candid personal anecdotes from Shipman's and Kay's own experiences and the stories they have gathered from professional women around the country who are coping with the same issues.

It is possible. Shipman and Kay don't waste time on what women can't do or can't have. Instead, they show women how to chart an empowering, exhilarating course to a richer life. Inspiring, practical, and persuasive, Womenomics offers a groundbreaking blueprint for changing the way you live and work—with advice, guidance, and fact-based support that proves you don't have to do it all to have it all.

My Review:

In my first year of Library School, I wrote a insignificant little paper about women and management. It was not one of my favorite papers that I have ever written. That distinction goes to my high school paper (I peaked early) comparing One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and American Beauty and my thesis about Italian Immigration to the U.S. and South America. Back on topic, I could find few sources for the paper on women and management. This book would have been perfect.

Womenomics was written by two great authorities. Katty Kay and Claire Shipman are high profile and powerful women who have managed to make career choices that would allow them to have satisfying family lives. They give great advice to women who want to accomplish the same goal of being able to manage a successful work life with spending time with family. The stories and examples in the book work well in illustrating the author’s points. Most of the stories come from more high profile and powerful women but the advice can easily be translated to more normal women in normal careers.

Katty Kay and Claire Shipman write from experience and the advice they give can definitely be useful for any woman who is looking to manage a family and a career. I don’t know how much this book will ever apply to me. I am not planning on having a children but that does not take away from the value this book would have for other women who have children or want to eventually have children. I also wonder if this book could also apply to men who have children. I know many men who work themselves to exhaustion at the sacrifice of time spent with their children. Could some of the advice be useful for them?

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review. My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the blog.